Kodomo
by Asty
Summary: A non-romantic story involving Shippo and Rin. Battles waging around them, what's happening to the youngest members of the two groups? Read and find out.


Kodomo  


Shippo ran through the underbrush, tail straight behind him as he made a mad dash for cover. The cold biting wind blew up snow around him, blurring his vision as he tried to make his way through the dense underbrush. His paws were getting cold and soaked as he ran, his scant clothing a useless shield against the impending blizzard. But Shippo kept running. Kagome had told him when Sesshoumaru showed up to run for cover. Inuyasha had been extremely tense and it looked as though this fight would be serious. With their swords drawn and fangs bared Shippo could only look on in fear as his guardian was drawn into battle to protect his friends and himself from his full demon blooded brother.

Explosions sounded behind him as the fight continued, the sound of swords clashing and metal scraping together as the two enemies faced off. Angry yells sounded over the din of the fight, Inuyasha's frustrated growl coming out loud and clear as he fought his ever persistent, Toukijin wielding brother. Kagome's desperate cries could also be heard, Inuyasha's name leaving her lips in frightened pleas.

With a small yelp of surprise Shippo tumbled headfirst into a snow drift, his momentum carrying him over to roll a few feet before he stopped, buried deeply inside the mound of white snow. He lifted his frostbitten orange head and listened to the sounds of the battle he'd left behind. The sounds were more distant than they had been, bringing little comfort to the small kitsune. He sat back on his haunches, shivering as his tiny clawed hand balled into a fist before his face.

"Chisho..." he muttered weakly. "If only I was stronger, then I could help Kagome and the others. Why did I run?"

Shippo slammed his paw down into the compacted snow, feeling unwanted tears of fear and shame spring to his eyes. He hastily wiped them away though and stood up, struggling to climb out of the hole he'd created. When he reached the top he tumbled over the edge and onto more solid snow, feeling his hands beginning to numb with cold. His cold kitsune ears rotated slightly with difficulty, barely picking up on the sounds of the fight that was being waged not too far off as the wind howled by him.

"I don't care what Kagome said," he proclaimed after a minute through chattering teeth. "I'm going to help no matter what!"

He braced his small legs to take off running again, but stopped short when something caught his ears. The sounds of soft whimpering and sobbing were coming from a patch of bushes not to far away. Shippo walked forward cautiously, his cold nose sniffing the dry air to pick up on what was creating the noise. The faint scent of a human tickled his nose as he neared a small area of snow covered vegetation.

He cleared his throat hesitantly. "Hello?" he called out, pushing aside snow and branches as he stepped inside the small clearing beneath the brush, snow blowing in behind him through the opening. He quickly  
turned to close the path behind himself, stopping the onslaught of new and wet snow from pouring into the small area. When finished he turned and his eyes grew wide at the sight before him.

A small girl of about five or six sat huddled opposite him, a worn blanket clutched tightly around her shoulders by her pale hands and she sobbed quietly into its folds, her face hidden from Shippo's worried gaze. She was wearing a thin, black checker patterned kimono and her hair was frozen into small, icicle covered strands.

He crawled over to hear, his frostbitten nose sniffing delicately at the girl before him. "What's wrong?" he asked after a minute, bringing a shaking paw to her head in concern.

She jerked up at his touch, her green-gray eyes spilling over with tears. "Rin... Rin's scared," she whispered quietly through almost blue lips, clutching the blanket closer to her chest.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be ok, they won't find you in here," Shippo said reassuringly, balancing back on his tail to avoid the wet ground as he sat before the small girl.

She seemed to finally notice the creature that was sitting before her as her eyes grew wide with wonder. "You're a youkai?"

Shippo nodded his head and gave a small grimace, bearing his baby fangs. "My name's Shippo. Is yours Rin?"

"Ha.. Hai," she stuttered quietly. "Rin's wo... worried about.... Sesshoumaru-sama... Rin hates fights!" With that she covered her ears as a loud explosion sounded from the battle field, sending Shippo hunkering to the cold ground as well. He looked up after a minute and approached Rin.

"Shhh, it's going to be ok," he muttered softly, trying to control the chattering of his teeth as he petted her icy black hair with his small paw. He found himself gulping nervously though as he absorbed this new piece of information. 'This girl is worried about Sesshoumaru?' "Eehh, why should you be worried about him? I think he can take care of himself."

Rin raised her head and let out a sniffle. "Sesshoumaru-sama t.. t.. takes care of Rin. Rin... doesn't want anything b..b..bad to happen... to him. He lets Rim p..pick flowers and go f..flying... with him." Her eyes seemed to light with joy at the memory, but it immediately vanished as she let out a loud sneeze. "He... told Rin t..to hide. H... how do you kn... know Sesshoumaru-sama?" she queried as she rubbed her red chaffed nose with the blanket.

A light sweatdrop appeared on the side of Shippo's head. "Eeh... just by reputation," he stammered nervously, rubbing his paws together as he tried to keep them warm.

Suddenly a loud explosion sounded, this time closer, sending Rin and Shippo into each others arms, each one shivering in fright and from the near freezing temperature. Yelling and blasts of energy could be heard, but through it all the renewed sobbing of Rin sounded sadly in Shippo's ear. He cradled the girl's cold body gently in his small arms, shushing her quietly, one paw covering her ear as he tried to reduce the noise of the nearby battle. Try as hard as he could, Shippo couldn't prevent the tears that fell as well, his own fear and hopelessness trailing from his eyes. His cold ears pushed themselves flat against his head as he tried to block out the sounds of yelling and screaming, praying feverishly that Kagome and the rest were ok.

Rin's pale, fisted hands unclenched slowly as she gently gripped the edge of the blanket in her lap. With a tear streaked face and quivering blue lips she turned to look up at Shippo, one hand reaching out to shakily offer an edge of the blanket to him. He took the blanket from her hesitantly, seeing his own worry and fear mirrored in her eyes. He tucked the worn fabric around them, hugging the small girl close to himself as they both cried silently and sought each other's warmth, sheltered beneath a worn blanket and blizzard ravaged land as a war raged close by, hearts whispering together for their loved ones to be safe. 


End file.
